Lagoon - Noon | ||
Number: | 209 | |
Date: | 1879/1880 | |
Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
Size: | 127 x 204 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at lower left (3-final) | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | 'Second Venice Set', 1886 | |
No. of States: | 3 | |
Known impressions: | 30 | |
Catalogues: | K.216; M.213; W.186 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (30) |
TECHNIQUE
The composition of Lagoon: Noon was etched, with drypoint added mainly in the sky and water, and fading in later impressions.
PRINTING
An early impression of Lagoon: Noon was printed in black ink on cream paper with light tone wiped vertically, leaving more ink at the bottom of the plate (
). The butterfly signature on such early proofs was quite large in size, with veins on the wings; surprisingly, in this case, the print was trimmed to the platemark, leaving the butterfly on a tab (most early impressions have a wide margin). Most impressions were printed in dark brown ink, on various papers, including ivory laid paper with a partial watermark 'W' (
) and with a partial Strasbourg Lily watermark (
).



Lagoon: Noon was published by Messrs Dowdeswell and Thibaudeau with the Twenty-six Etchings or the 'Second Venice Set' in 1886. The record of impressions for this edition lists one delivered on 20 August, followed by most of the edition in October: five on the 2nd, thirteen on the 6th, and seven on 21 and 26 October, a total of only 33. 7
7: Whistler to W. Dowdeswell, GUW #08717.
The drypoint was worn down in later impressions, and usually impressions are rather pale. These include several impressions in dark brown ink, for instance one on cream 'modern' (post-1800) laid (
) and on cream laid paper (
) as well as on cream (
) and ivory Asian laid (
) and light buff Japan paper (
). A few are heavily inked with carefully wiped tone to compensate for fading drypoint (
).





